The Hurunui Water Project (HWP) proposes a weir at the outlet of Lake Sumner, and a 75m high dam on the South Branch of the Hurunui. This would affect flows on sections of the Hurunui river such as Maori Gully and Hawarden Gap (July 2009). Submissions on the resource consent application are due 11 September 2009.

Whitewater NZ has made a joint application with Fish and Game for a Water Conservation Order for the Hurunui River (Sep 2008). Our intention is to protect the outstanding recreational amenity from damming or extraction. If you agree the Hurunui is deserving of protection for future generations, please read the background information and make a submission before 15 December 2008.

The Canterbury Central Plains Water plans to extract up to 40cu from both the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers in order to irrigate 60,000ha of farmland. A 12km2 storage lake will be created. The consents are for 35 years. The Assessment of Environmental Effects (Kowai intake) (PDF, 4.1Mb) makes little mention of kayaking, saying only Reducing the mainstream riffle depth is possibly of greater concern to activities that require longer lengths of river, such as the jet boaters and canoeists/kayakers, who require a minimum water depth of 0.2 and 0.1 metres respectively. The effect of the reduced downstream quantity of water is assessed as having a low potential to affect both instream and land-based recreation. (6.4.7, p6-9). BTW, 0.1m = 10cm!

Significantly, the scheme has changed from 'harvest at high flows' to 'run of the river'. The scheme would mean the Waimak would run at minimum flow for much of the year. Refer http://www.stopthedam.org.nz/, especially Is Central Plains Water trustworthy? for additional information. Submissions due August 18 with hearings planned for later this year.

TrustPower is about to launch a $240m hydro power scheme in the Wairau valley, that would divert 50% of the Wairau river through six powerstations on a 46km canal beside the river. The section affected is a braided, low-gradient reach from the Branch river to Renwick.

The Queenstown District Council wants to remove a buttress above Smith's Falls rapid on the Dogleg section of the Kawarau River, in order to reduce the level of Lake Wakatipu during extreme flood events. has made a submission opposing the consent application

A resource consent application by Trustpower has been publicly notified by the West Coast Regional Council and Greymouth District Council. Details of the scheme are at http://www.arnoldpower.co.nz/. In summary, the scheme would divert up to 100 cumecs (2/3 average flow) from the Arnold mainstem near the existing dam, through a canal, returning the water approx. 12km downstream. This would dewater the usual run leaving a minimum residual flow of 12 cumecs.

"[Given] the disparity between the proposed residual flow regime and the number of occasions that minimum flows meet the kayakers' requirements, it is likely that their activities will be affected as the flows will typically be too shallow to allow for current usage." "As a consequence there will be a significant adverse effect requiring mitigation." (p21-22, Appendix N (PDF, 3Mb)). Trustpower have proposed a 'world-class kayak course' as part of the plan, "but it's not confirmed at this stage" (Press, 22 November 2006). Submissions close 19 January 2007.